“I evolved it,” Cudlipp said, “as an exercise in brutal mass education.”The first shock issue, in 1960, was a searing account of the suffering of horses shipped from Britain to the butchers of Belgium and France. This was followed by exposures of the scandals of the poorly equipped youth clubs, cruelty to children, pollution, the suicide club of teenagers on ton-up motorbikes, and the neglect of old and lonely people.Cudlipp’s finest hours were, however, lived during the six General Election campaigns, which he led. He would summon the election team to his room, conduct a brain-storming session, and, when the plan was formed, leap to the drawing-board, sketch the lay-outs and write in the headlines. He was in his element here as he never was among the balance sheets in the boardroom.His most subtle campaign was his first, in 1955, just after Eden had become Prime Minister The Tories were unbeatable.

So the Mirror’s message was Vote Labour and “Keep the Tories Tame”.Cudlipp began the critical week of Macmillan’s 1959 “You never had it so good” election with a page one message “The Time has Come for the Tories to Go.” “Why? – See Monday’s Mirror.” “Why? – See Tuesday’s Mirror.” Etc, etc.But the most powerful campaign he fought was the election of 1964 which brought Labour and Harold Wilson to power after the Tories had ruled for “Thirteen Wasted Years” It was, however, the election that would not come alive. Letter: Price of India’s bomb

Sir: The thousands of children who eke out a precarious existence in the streets and city dumps of Calcutta and Bombay must be bemused; their government can afford nuclear weapons, but cannot find the money to feed and educate the nation’s most precious possessions, its children.
JOHN O’SHEAGoal, London W3. This is a huge diversion of resources from less glamorous but far more worthwhile rail investment.STEPHEN PLOWDENLondon NW1. The reconstruction of the West Coast main line to enable it to carry high-speed trains will cost at least pounds 2bn. If the trains require new tracks, they are immensely intrusive; if they use existing tracks, they very much reduce the capacity for freight and for local passenger trains.The Channel Tunnel rail link is not the only high-speed rail project that should be urgently re-examined. Air is always likely to be both quicker and cheaper than train. The potential demand for rail could never support an adequate frequency of service.
The current British fascination with high-speed trains contrasts with a growing disillusion with them on the Continent High-speed trains are not environmentally friendly Both fuel consumption and noise increase sharply with speed.

With this in mind, is it too much to ask for people to work for a united Northern Ireland?OSCAR McCARTHYHull. The tragedies of the last thirty years have their roots in the misguided fears of the two opposing communities; this agreement is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to walk away from division.Most nationalists now accept that there will not be a united Ireland in the foreseeable future. The total market for travel between the North-east and Greater Paris is relatively small. Letter: Take the slow train

Sir: There is no way of realising James Murphy’s dream (letter, 15 May) of a train journey between Newcastle and Paris taking only five hours. Letter: A united Ulster

Sir: Andrew Boyd (letter, 15 May) seeks to rubbish the Good Friday agreement by asking what kind of agreement asks Protestants to support the IRA, and Catholics to support the UDA.
The simple answer is that the agreement is inclusive. Values have unfortunately changed and we are now faced with the inevitable consequences Don’t blame the programme makers. Blame the people who employed them.RICHARD WADEWatlington,Oxfordshire.

Place a camera out in an ordinary street and the producer is immediately involved in deciding which way to point it, what lens to use, when to turn it on and when to turn it off. Then when the time comes to edit, which bit will be used; which shot comes before it and which after it? And all this happens before we write the narration. Letter: `Cheating’ on TV

Sir: You report on restaging of events by makers of television documentaries (“BBC tackles documentary `cheating’ “, 15 May). There is no way of guarding against “cheating” apart from the integrity of the person making the programme.
However straightforward the coverage of a subject may be, the viewpoint of the programme maker is always the message that the audience will receive Making any programme involves decision-making and choice. When I worked on the old Tonight programme, producers and directors were chosen not only for their talent, but for their integrity as well.

You don’t see what you see, you see what the writer tells you that you see.Face your producer with these choices in relation to a controversial subject and the process becomes very dangerous indeed It always was and it always will be. We must value both men and women, if we are to achieve a better balance in our relationships.ANNE WEYMANChief ExecutiveFamily Planning AssociationLondon N1. Most women wish to enjoy relationships based on love and respect with men, be they their fathers, brothers, lovers or sons.In recent years, the Family Planning Association has been working with boys and young men to ensure their needs are met in sex and relationships education. Even though there is still a long way to go to achieve equality in the “battle of the sexes” (16 May), I line up with David Aaronovitch in his debate with Suzanne Moore.
As feminists we do not advance our cause by making dismissive generalisations about men Many men have little power over their lives. Letter: Battle of the sexes

Sir: Yes, men hold more positions of power than women and few men take equal responsibility in the home, but women have enhanced their opportunities enormously in the last twenty years. Dancers demonstrating the tango at Chamatin railway station, Madrid Photograph: David Rose

A 9×12 print of this photograph can be ordered on 0171-293 2534. If the churches do not like the European Convention, they should be forced to come out and say so, and say why..